The 5 main types of tomatoes

The tomato plant is one of the horticultural plants that can most easily be grown in a pot, since it does not grow much and in any case, it can always be pruned to remove lateral branches that will produce an interesting amount of delicious, healthy and nutritious fruits.

But did you know that there are many varieties of tomatoes? We have made a small selection of 5 that, we hope, you like.

Five main variants of tomatoes

For the following list that we will show you below, you will not only see a general description of each of the tomato plants that exist and some of their variants, but you will also know some of their characteristics and other important information for you.

RAF tomato

Raf tomato is widely used in salads

The RAF tomato is a tomato that is quite reminiscent of pumpkins , but much smaller of course. It measures about 5cm in diameter and is widely used in salads. It comes from the species  Solanum lycopersicum  ‘Raf’, which is a species obtained through the artificial selection of traditional tomato plants from the Vega de Almería.

The word RAF stands for resistance to fusarium , a fungus that usually affects tomato plants. Among the most outstanding characteristics of this variant of tomatoes we can mention:

  • It is a tomato that is characterized by having a fleshy texture and a high percentage of dried meat.
  • Being a dried meat, it has the peculiarity of not secreting or generating liquid when cut.
  • The ripening process occurs from inside the RAF tomato to the outside.
  • It has a very balanced balance between sour and sweet taste.
  • It has a height of cultivation quite tall to have them in pots.
  • The plant can grow up to 1.5 meters .

Cherry tomato

Cherry tomato is small

The cherry tomato or bouquet tomato is rather small, about 4cm in diameter. This is native to South America. It is used a lot in toast with oil, salt, and sometimes also with a slice of any sausage on top.

It is very interesting to grow it in a large pot, because with a single plant you can have tomatoes for the whole family for a while .

These tomatoes can be both deep red and yellow and it is easy to distinguish between them, as it has a great resemblance to cherry. In addition, it is one of the tomatoes that has the greatest diffusion throughout the planet earth.

Some of its characteristics are:

  • It is an annual type plant.
  • It has fairly simple leaves and they have a petiole shape.
  • Part of the leaves of the plant provides a peculiar and characteristic aroma of this plant.
  • It is the result of this variant, it does not measure more than 3 cm in diameter.
  • The ripening process is very fast.
  • The taste can be sweet but with a bit of acid.

On the other hand, we must highlight some aspects or beneficial properties that are achieved after the consumption of this tomato. The main thing to highlight about the cherry tomato is that it has very few calories . Its reason is because the fruit is made up of up to 95% water.

In addition to this, it is a rich source of vitamin A, C, and E , not to mention good amounts of potassium and magnesium can be obtained. The good thing about this tomato is that thanks to its small size, you can eat it in one or two bites.

After ingesting it, you will be giving your body a little more antioxidants and simple sugars. The downside is that it is not a rich source of energy, but this would not be a problem for a fruit that has the ability to slow down the aging process and be a perfect way to control weight.

Patio tomato

The patio tomato is red

The patio tomato is very, very small, just 2-3cm in diameter. If the cherry is interesting to have in small spaces, the patio is ideal to have in even smaller spaces . It grows up to 50-70cm in height, a characteristic for which it can live in a pot and produce tomatoes non-stop throughout the season.

Keep in mind that the name or term “patio” used for this tomato variant is not to differentiate it from other tomatoes, but rather it is a type of crop whose objective is to have it in a reduced space and have the plant in a flower pot.

The advantage that patio tomatoes offer people is that they are very easy to grow and no additional knowledge is needed to care for them . They basically need the same treatment as the one you give other plants in your garden.

All you need for its cultivation is a fairly fertile soil but above all it has a good drainage system , since it does not support too much humidity or flooding. So that you have a base to follow, try to have the patio tomato in a container whose depth is at least 50 cm.

Roman tomato

Roman tomato is red

The Roman tomato has, unlike the vast majority of varieties, an elongated shape. It is quite reminiscent of a potato , although it has a sweeter taste. They are normally used to make tomato sauces. The species of this tomato is  Solanum lycopersicum ‘Roma’ and it is more suitable for growing in the garden. It measures around 5-6cm in length.

The flowering of this plant takes place between June and September and they have a very striking yellow color. The plant prefers subtropical climates although it can also grow in cold areas where the temperature does not drop below 10 ° C.

If you taste this fruit raw or taken directly from the bush, you will feel a somewhat mealy texture. The plant can grow up to 1.5 meters tall and needs to be in direct sunlight. That is why you must provide a good amount of water so that the plant does not die.

Tomato ‘White Beauty’

Tomato 'White Beauty', a variety of light colored tomatoes

Nice, right? The White Beauty tomato is large, more or less like the RAF , 5-6cm in diameter. It is originally from America and is used to make jams or salmorejos.

Compared to the other types of tomatoes on the list, this is the most striking and the easiest to identify thanks to the color of the fruit. Instead of looking red like the vast majority of shots, this one is completely yellow. Giving the impression that it is not yet fully mature but the reality is quite the opposite.

We hope that the information has been very useful and that you have at least known other varieties of tomatoes that you usually use. If you look a little better on the internet, you can get recipes and dishes prepared with each of the different types of tomatoes that we mention here.

In case you have the opportunity to opt for a different variant than the usual one, you will know how to prepare them and get the most out of the benefits .

The 5 main types of tomatoes

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